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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to student members of the board of regents of a state |
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university or state university system. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.355, Education Code, as added by |
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Chapters 292 and 1181, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2005, is amended by amending Subsections (c) and (d) and |
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adding Subsections (d-1), (h), and (i) to read as follows: |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (f), not later than |
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November [September] 1 of each year, the student government of each |
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general academic teaching institution and medical and dental unit |
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in a university system shall solicit applicants for appointment to |
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the next regular term of the position of student regent. Not later |
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than January [November] 1, from among the applications received by |
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the student government, the student government shall select five |
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applicants as the student government's recommendations for the |
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position of student regent and send the applications of those |
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applicants[, with the name of each applicant and the name of the
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institution or unit in which the applicant is enrolled removed,] to |
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the chancellor of the university system. From among those |
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applicants, the chancellor shall select two or more applicants as |
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the university system's recommendations for the position of student |
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regent and shall send the applications of those applicants to the |
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governor not later than February [December] 1. The governor may |
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request to review all applications for the position of student |
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regent received by the student governments and may request an |
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applicant to submit additional information to the governor [to
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review information required to be removed from an application by a
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student government under this subsection]. On June [February] 1, |
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or as soon thereafter as practicable, the governor shall appoint |
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one of the applicants to serve as the student regent for the system |
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for a one-year term expiring on the next May 31 [February 1]. The |
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governor is not required to appoint an applicant recommended by the |
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chancellor. |
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(d) To be eligible for appointment as student regent, a |
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person [A student regent] must be enrolled as an undergraduate or |
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graduate student in a general academic teaching institution or |
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medical and dental unit in the university system and be in good |
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academic standing as determined by the institution at the time of |
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appointment. The person must remain enrolled at the institution |
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[and] throughout the person's term as a student regent [regent's
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term]. For purposes of this subsection, a person is considered to |
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be enrolled in an institution or unit for a summer term if the |
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person was enrolled in the institution or unit for the preceding |
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semester and: |
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(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution |
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or unit for the following fall semester; |
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(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree |
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program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the |
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institution or unit in the following fall semester; or |
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(3) if the person completed a degree program in the |
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preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the |
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institution or unit for the following fall semester. |
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(d-1) Throughout a student regent's term, the student |
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regent must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a |
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four-point scale. The president of the institution in which the |
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student regent is enrolled shall notify the governor if the student |
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regent fails to maintain the qualifications required by this |
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section. |
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(h) On receiving notice under Subsection (d-1) from the |
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president of the institution in which the student regent is |
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enrolled that the student regent has failed to maintain the |
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qualifications required by this section, the governor shall declare |
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the position of student regent vacant and as soon as practicable |
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fill the vacancy in the manner prescribed by Subsection (g). |
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(i) A student regent serves without compensation but is |
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entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the |
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student regent in attending the meetings of the board of regents, |
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subject to the approval of the chairman of the board of regents. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.356, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (d) and (e) and adding Subsections (e-1), (h), |
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and (i) to read as follows: |
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(d) Not later than November [September] 1 of each year, the |
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student government of the general academic teaching institution |
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shall solicit applicants for appointment to the next regular term |
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of the position of student regent. Not later than January |
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[November] 1, from among the applications received by the student |
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government, the student government shall select five applicants as |
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the student government's recommendations for the position of |
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student regent and send the applications of those applicants[, with
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the name of each applicant removed,] to the president of the |
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institution. From among those applicants, the president shall |
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select two or more applicants as the institution's recommendations |
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for the position of student regent and shall send the applications |
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of those applicants to the governor not later than February |
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[December] 1. The governor may request to review all applications |
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for the position of student regent received by the student |
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government and may request an applicant to submit additional |
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information to the governor [to review information required to be
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removed from an application by the student government under this
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subsection]. On June [February] 1, or as soon thereafter as |
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practicable, the governor shall appoint one of the applicants to |
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serve as the student regent for the institution for a one-year term |
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expiring on the next May 31 [February 1]. The governor is not |
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required to appoint an applicant recommended by the president. |
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(e) To be eligible for appointment as student regent, a |
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person [A student regent] must be enrolled as an undergraduate or |
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graduate student in the general academic teaching institution and |
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be in good academic standing as determined by the institution at the |
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time of appointment. The person must remain enrolled at the |
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institution [and] throughout the person's term as a student regent |
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[regent's term]. For purposes of this subsection, a person is |
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considered to be enrolled in an institution for a summer term if the |
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person was enrolled in the institution for the preceding semester |
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and: |
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(1) is registered or preregistered at the institution |
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for the following fall semester; |
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(2) if the person has not completed the person's degree |
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program, is eligible to continue the degree program at the |
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institution in the following fall semester; or |
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(3) if the person completed a degree program in the |
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preceding semester, is admitted to another degree program at the |
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institution for the following fall semester. |
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(e-1) Throughout a student regent's term, the student |
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regent must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a |
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four-point scale. The president of the institution in which the |
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student regent is enrolled shall notify the governor if the student |
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regent fails to maintain the qualifications required by this |
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section. |
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(h) On receiving notice under Subsection (e-1) from the |
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president of the institution that the student regent has failed to |
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maintain the qualifications required by this section, the governor |
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shall declare the position of student regent vacant and as soon as |
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practicable fill the vacancy in the manner prescribed by Subsection |
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(g). |
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(i) A student regent serves without compensation but is |
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entitled to be reimbursed for the actual expenses incurred by the |
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student regent in attending the meetings of the board of regents, |
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subject to the approval of the chairman of the board of regents. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a |
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student regent on the board of regents of a state university system |
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or state university serving on or appointed after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 4. The term of a student regent on the board of |
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regents of a state university system or state university that under |
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the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act |
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was to expire February 1, 2008, is extended to expire on May 31, |
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2008. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |